Senecio plant named ‘Sene Isiimi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant named ‘Sene Isiimi’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark blue in color and disc florets that are dark purple in color.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SENE ISIIMI’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

A Japanese Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Assignee, Suntory Flowers Limited of Tokyo, Japan on Oct. 7, 2021, application number 35764. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sene Isiimi’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright, uniformly mounding and vigorous Senecio plants with a freely-branching habit, early flowering and numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in March, 2015 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation Peri DB, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation S12-85-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sene Isiimi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sene Isiimi’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark blue         in color and disc florets that are dark purple in color.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have darker blue-colored ray florets than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have dark blue-colored ray florets whereas plants of the male parent selection have reddish purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus ‘Sunsenedibu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,181. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenedibu’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of ‘Sunsenedibu’.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Senecio are flat and mostly         horizontal whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Sunsenedibu’ are         reflexed.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Senecio are dark blue in         color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Sunsenedibu’ are dark         violet in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Isiimi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Isiimi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sene Isiimi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code designation Peri DB, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code designation S12-85-2, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly mounded             plant habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit             with numerous primary and secondary branches.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 49 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About             2.9 mm. Internode length: About 4.7 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 144A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 6 cm. Width: About 7.7 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Obtuse. Base: Cordate. Margin: Senate; moderately undulate.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent;             matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Moderately             pubescent, rough; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate;             reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close             to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;             venation, close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 148C; venation, close to 138B. Leaf             petioles: Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped             ray florets; inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils             and positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face mostly upright to slightly outwardly;             freely flowering habit with about 89 inflorescences             developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to             three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 9.1 mm. Diameter: About             7.9 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to N89C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.2 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 1.4 mm. Diameter: About 5.9 mm.             Color: Close to 144C.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About twelve per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             3.3 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute.             Base: Acute. Margin: Entire, not undulate. Aspect: Initially             upright, then horizontal; flat. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Brighter than N87A. When opening, lower surface:             Close to N95A; longitudinal ridges, close to 100D. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N95A; proximally, close to             97A; color does not change with subsequent development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Proximally, close to 97B and             distally, close to N95A; color does not change with             subsequent development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 103. Length:             About 7.6 mm. Diameter, at apex: About 2.5 mm. Diameter, at             base: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate,             five-pointed. Texture: Pubescent. Color, immature: Close to             79B. Color, mature: Close to 79A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             2.5 mm. Width: About 1.4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to NN137B. Color, lower surface: Close to NN137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outwardly.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 1.1 mm. Filament color: Close             to 149D. Anther size: About 1.7 mm by 1 mm. Anther shape:             Narrowly ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to N92B. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 13A. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About             6.9 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             N92B. Style color: Close to 150D. Ovary color: Close to             149D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Senecio have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Senecio plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sene Isiimi’ as illustrated and described. 